Catch Me When I Fall
by No Nonsensical
Summary: Fuji loves Tezuka, but Tezuka loves Echizen. Wanting to make both of his friends happy, Fuji lets go of his own feelings for Tezuka. When you let go of your emotions and begin to fall, who will be there to catch you before it's too late?
1. Prelude

Catch Me When I Fall

* * *

Title : Catch Me When I Fall

Author : Kamiyama Sayuri

Rating : PG-17

Genre : General/Angst/Romance

Warnings : Shonen-ai, and Coarse Language

Pairings : Eventual Saeki Kojirou/Fuji Syuusuke, Tezuka Kunimitsu /Echizen Ryoma (Pillar Pair), One-sided Fuji Syuusuke/Tezuka Kunimitsu, Ooishi Syuuichirou/Kikumaru Eiji (Golden Pair), Inui Sadaharu/Kaoru Kaidoh, Momoshiro Takeshi/Tachibana An, Kawamura Takashi/Akutsu Jin, and Mizuki Hajime/Fuji Yuuta

Summary : Fuji loves Tezuka, but Tezuka's already involved in a relationship with Echizen. Wanting to make both of his friends happy, Fuji decides to let go of his own feelings for Tezuka. When you let go of your emotions and begin to fall, who will be there to catch you before it's too late?

Disclaimer : The Prince of Tennis/Tenisu no Ōjisama, and all related works belong to Konomi Takeshi. "Catch Me When I Fall" is a purely non-profitable work of fanfiction.


	2. Wake Me When I Sleep

Chapter 1 : Wake Me When I Sleep

* * *

"Aniki!"

No response.

"Syuusuke!"

Still no response.

Fuji Yuuta glared angrily at his brother's room on the second floor before making his way up the stairs, bare feet impacting loudly every time they made contact with the stair steps. He fisted his hand and pounded angrily on the door.

"Aniki! If you don't hurry up, you're going to be late for practice! Get your lazy ass out of bed!"

"Neh, Yuuta, watch your language. And in case you haven't noticed, I am awake."

Furious stormy grey eyes turned around to meet the closed eyelids of another brown-haired boy.

A vein in Yuuta's forehead twitched.

"Baka Aniki!" the younger brother shrieked angrily. "Why didn't you tell me you were already awake?"

Fuji Syuusuke, fully dressed in his school uniform with a jacket draped over his thin frame, a backpack slung over one shoulder and a tennis bag slung over the other, flashed an even wider grin at his younger brother.

"Ah, gomen. You just looked so cute looking for me, Yuuta." Fuji responded with a slight chuckle, "I didn't want to disturb you."

The vein in Yuuta's forehead popped.

"OUT YOU BAKA ANIKI! OUT!" He screamed as he ran down the stairs and swung the front door open with unnecessary force.

"Aww...come Yuuta, no good-bye kiss for Syuusuke-nii?" Fuji caught the blush on Yuuta's face and his smile stretched into a slightly maniacal grin. "Ah, I see. You're saving yourself for that purple manager of yours, aren't you?"

The grey-eyed boy's face turned completely red and multiple veins were beginning to erupt in his forehead.

"FOR THE LAST TIME ANIKI, HIS NAME IS MIZUKI! MI-ZU-KI HA-JI-ME!"

Fuji laughed at his brother's antics as he made his way out the door.

"Don't do anything funny with him when I'm not at home, Otouto. And don't forget to use condoms and clean up after sex."

Yuuta slammed the door shut in his brother's smiling face. He sighed and rubbed the scar on the left side of his face out of habit.

It was amazing he hadn't died from internal bleeding yet through the all those popped veins.

Absolutely amazing.


	3. Look At Me When I Think Of You

Chapter 2 : Look At Me When I Think Of You

* * *

Fuji breathed in the cool January air as he opened his cerulean-coloured eyes to marvel at the snow-covered scenery that surrounded him. As he walked towards the bus stop, the brown-haired boy smiled and drummed his pale fingers against the shoulder strap of his tennis bag.

_'Neh, Tezuka, I'll be able to see you again today.'_

A light blush spread across Fuji's pale cheeks as he thought about the bespectacled stern-faced young teen he had fell in love with in their first year.

_'Valentine's Day is coming up soon, isn't it? I wonder if I can tell you how I feel about you then.'_

Fuji's expression grew sadder as he closed his eyes and lifted his head slightly to the direction of the sky.

_'After all, this might be our last year together. With all those high schools scouting you, we might turn towards our separate paths, but I don't want it to be that way. I want you to know that I love you. But...but what if you reject me? What do you see me as? A friend? A fellow teammate? A rival? A challenge? Or am I just another 3rd year, a schoolmate?'_

"Tezuka..." Fuji whispered hoarsely as he flung his head down and stared at the pavement. The tensai snapped back up as he saw the bus arrive. The cerulean-eyed boy boarded the bus with a respectful bow to the driver before making his way to the back. Fuji plopped down on the seat and rested his head against the cool glass window.

_'...Do you even see me at all?'_


	4. Lock Me Out When I Disappear

Chapter 3 : Lock Me Out When I Disappear

* * *

The brown-haired boy shook his head dejectedly as he entered the school grounds and made his way towards the tennis courts. It wasn't good to start the day off like this, doubting himself to this level. 

Fuji sighed and went to the males' change room to change into his Regulars' jersey, only to find the door locked. Cerulean-coloured eyes opened slightly to gaze at the inert doorknob. He was earlier than usual today, but Ooishi had to have come already. Unless...

Fuji mentally slapped himself in the face. Of course that was why the door was locked. Kikumaru had gone over to Ooishi's house last night. The brown-haired boy gave a small shudder as he imagined the activities his best friend and his fuku-buchou must have token part in that would make even Ooishi so late. It probably involved a lot of se...

A sudden noise from inside the change rooms jerked Fuji out of his thoughts and the tensai ran towards one of the windows to find what had sounded like an animal in pain. Unable to see much from the range of vision the windows provided, the brown-haired boy tried the door again. His eyes silted in disappointment as he found the door tightly locked. Fuji reached into his pocket and took out a paperclip. His slim fingers unraveled the finger clip, twisted into a narrow metal stick and jammed the makeshift lock picker into the keyhole.

After some twisting and turning, the lock broke with a small 'click', and the door opened. Fuji sighed in relief and quietly rushed into the change rooms to find the injured critter. His ears twitched as he heard the sound again, this time deeper and more human-like than last time's, coming from the direction of the showers. Cerulean-eyes narrowed as Fuji made his way towards the noises which were appearing more and more frequently.

The brown-eyed boy tip-toed quietly across the change rooms. He pressed his body against the wall until he reached the showering area. The tensai winced at the disturbing sounds coming from the other side of the room and he turned his head over to see...

_'...Tezuka and Echizen?'_

Fuji's pupils dilated and his mouth nearly dropped open as he saw his Buchou and their Regular freshman together in the change room. Echizen was standing on a bench, his arms wrapped around Tezuka's waist and his body grinding against the other's. One of Tezuka's arms was wrapped possessively around the freshman's waist, fingers gripping on to his discarded glasses, and the other hand grasped Echizen's chin to collide their lips in a passionate kiss.

Fuji stared at his teammates with a bewildered expression etched on to his face. He tore his eyes away from the scene and abruptly turning away from the two lovers, began to walk towards the lockers, forcing down the tears in his eyes that were already blurring his vision. He couldn't believe it, but to see Tezuka and Echizen like that, so loving and passionate, came as a slap in the face for the tensai.

_'I never thought that the situation would turn out like this...that Echizen would get to Tezuka first.'_

Fuji zipped up his Regulars' jacket over his white dress shirt and grabbed his tennis racket. He made sure to close the door quietly as made his way outside. The cerulean-eyed boy shivered as a strong wind blew in his face. His fingers trembled as he walked towards the courts.

_'Heck, I didn't even know that Echizen had feelings for Tezuka, or vice versa. I thought that Tezuka was only interested in Echizen's potential to become Seigaku's next pillar.'_

Fuji made his way on to the tennis courts, the black sleeves of his uniform pants brushed against each other with every step he took.

_'But, then again, I not only admired Tezuka for his skills, I loved him because he was unique. Tezuka...is this how you see Echizen?'_

Fuji took out a neon yellow tennis ball and bounced it consecutively against the floor of the court.

_'What was so special about Echizen that captured your heart, Tezuka? Was it because of his potential? His desire to win? The motivation that I lacked? Was it because he reminded you of yourself? Are you trying to play the role of Yamato-buchou? Do you love him because he's better than all of us?'_

Fuji stood in the service box with the tennis ball in his hand. Instead of tossing the ball upwards, he spun it with his fingers towards the direction of the floor.

_'It was because of his limitless potential, wasn't it? The way you two were drawn towards each other by your Zones...The way you two were drawn towards each other as the Pillars of Seigaku.'_

Eyes that were now a dark blue colour snapped open as the ball fell and Fuji swung his racket at the yellow projectile.

_'If that's the case, Tezuka, then I will show you my potential...'_

The ball flew over the net and bounced against the floor of the court, flashing towards the imaginary opponent.

_'I'll improve and surpass my limits. I'll surpass everyone, even you, Tezuka. Just so you can...''_

The ball disappeared.

_'...Acknowledge me.'_

The ball reappeared at the side of the court, beyond the boundaries and rolled towards wall.

_'I'll have to push myself if I want to be noticed. Or else, I'll disappear from under your radar, just like my serve.'_

Fuji's lips quirked upwards as he walked to the other side of the net and picked up the tennis ball. He had just found an appropriate name for his newest move...

"...The Disappearing Serve."


	5. Believe Me When I Lie

Chapter 4 : Believe Me When I Lie

* * *

"Nn...Tezuka-buchou..."

The freshman's sentence was cut off by a low moan as his lover sucked on the pulsing vein on his neck. Echizen Ryoma's golden eyes rolled back into his head, the young boy's mind spinning with pure ecstasy. The Junior Samurai looked up and stared into the hazel eyes of his buchou, now blurry and slightly glazed over without the aid of his usual glasses. Echizen's lips curled up in to a small smile and wrapped his arms around the taller teen to bring them together in a warm embrace.

"Buchou."

The response came as a muffled grunt from the hazel-eyed boy whose face was buried in the soft green-black hair of his lover.

"Neh, buchou, I really hate to stop this, but I think we should continue at some other time before somebody comes," Echizen mumbled rather reluctantly.

The head that was previously burrowed in his hair lifted itself off and the freshman found himself moaning involuntarily at the sudden loss of contact. Tezuka Kunimitsu placed his glasses back to their original position before giving a rare smile to the shorter boy. His fingers brushed Echizen's cheek and hovered temptingly over his lips as the taller boy leaned down to capture those sultry lips with his own.

"Don't be impatient, Ryoma-kun. We can finish this tonight," Tezuka whispered in to his lover's ear, before standing up and readjusting his crumpled dress suit.

The younger boy blushed while mirroring his buchou's actions. It was true that neither one of them wanted to stop, but the chances of being seen by someone would be too great. Receiving the National Title was their goal and revealing their relationship to the other Regulars would only distract all of them from that dream. Furthermore, there was the issue of homosexuality.

Echizen sighed as he fixed his trademark Fila cap on his head. Male to male relationships were not uncommon, but they were still awkward. Both he and Tezuka were uncertain as to how team would react to their relationship. The freshman made his way towards the lockers and froze as he saw a third tennis bag lying on the bench. A tennis bag that was not his or his lover's.

"Echizen?" Tezuka asked as he saw his boyfriend freeze in front of the lockers. "What's wrong?"

"Buchou...I think that one of the Regulars came in here and saw us," Echizen replied as he turned towards his lover for reassurance.

"Impossible..." Tezuka muttered as he walked forward to inspect the bag. "...The door was locked. I made sure of it." His hazel-coloured eyes saw a familiar cell phone dangling off of the bag.

"Oh shit."

"Eh? What's wrong, buchou?"

"Fuji." Came the simple reply from the bespectacled boy who was making his way towards to doors. "Fuji was here."

"Fuji-sempai?" Golden eyes widened in disbelief as the shorter boy ran to catch up with his boyfriend.

"But, if Fuji-sempai saw us, that means he'll probably tell everyone in the school about us!"

"Not if I stop him first, Tezuka snarled under his breathe as he ran towards the brown-haired figure on the tennis courts.

Echizen stared as the taller boy broke into a run. Never had he seen his buchou so mad before. The freshman furrowed his brows as he ran after his boyfriend. Their relationship was important, of course, but Fuji-sempai was his friend. He couldn't let Fuji-sempai get killed by his overly-possessive lover just because the tensai had, accidentally or intentionally, walked in on the two of them kissing the life out of each other.

"Tezuka-buchou! Wait a minute!"

* * *

Fuji tried to regulate his breathing as he bounced another tennis ball against the floor of the court. He turned his head up to look over at the other side of the net.

_'The Disappearing Serve...I've almost mastered it. All I need to do now is adjust the angle of my...''_

"Tezuka-buchou! Wait a minute!"

The brown-haired boy's head whirled around in shock as he saw his buchou stalking towards the tennis courts with Echizen chasing after him.

_'Tezuka?'_

Fuji slapped a strained smile on his face as he walked out of the fenced perimeter of the tennis court to greet his teammates.

"Tezuka-buchou, Echizen-kun, good morn-..."

The tensai stopped short in his sentence as he saw Tezuka walk towards him with an uncharacteristically livid expression on his face.

"Mou, Tezuka-buchou, are you okay?"

_'What happened? Was it something between you and Echizen? Why are you looking at me like that? Looking at me as if you hate me?'_

Fuji winced as Tezuka fisted the front of his shirt and pulled the smaller boy towards him so that the two of them met face-to-face.

"Good morning, buchou. You don't seem to be acting like yourself today," The cerulean-eyed boy said cheerfully. "Is something the matter?"

_'Tezuka...what's wrong?'_

Hazel eyes framed by glasses glared at the smiling boy.

"Don't play the fool with me, Fuji," Tezuka hissed with a notable amount of venom in his voice. "I know you saw Echizen and me in the change rooms this morning." The grip on the front of the smaller boy's shirt tightened. "Who the hell have you told?"

Cerulean eyes opened wide for a split second before narrowing into dangerous slits.

_'So that's what this is about. You don't trust me at all.'_

Fuji slapped away the offending hand that had been ruining his dress suit and calmly adjusted this crooked collar while Tezuka stared at his stinging hand in mild surprise.

"Fuji, you..."

Eyes that had suddenly turned into a pale, icy-blue coloured made contact with stone-cold hazel-eyes. The bespectacled boy involuntarily took a step back from the coldness he saw in those blue eyes. Fuji lifted his gaze from his buchou and shut his eyes again.

"No, Tezuka," Fuji stated with an edge to his voice. "This isn't about me, it's about you. What made you think that I would tell anyone about your relationship with Echizen from what I saw this morning? Do you really have that little trust in me?"

"Yes," Came the immediate response from taller boy with no hesitation in his tone.

_'You don't trust me, Tezuka? Not even as friends or teamates?'_

Fuji opened his eyes in feigned amusement. He bent down and picked up a button from the ground that had fell off of his dress suit due to Tezuka's rough handling. He stood back up and looked at his buchou again, this time with a blank look on his face.

"And why is that, Tezuka-san?" The tensai questioned mockingly. "Why is it that you don't believe me? Is it because I'm evil and sadistic? Is it because I'm cruel and manipulative? Is it because I'm Fuji Syuusuke?"

Echizen, who had by now caught up with his two sempais, stared at Fuji in surprise. Of course that's what everybody in the school thought of Fuji Syuusuke as. He was manipulative and conniving, a tensai nonetheless, but also a fearsome sadist.

The freshman winced as he heard the negative words being said out loud by the very person they were meant to describe. Never had he realized that the words sounded so cruel and heartless. The black-haired boy felt a wave of shame overcome him as he recalled the times he too, had used those words to describe his blue-eyed sempai.

"Neh, but don't worry, Tezuka-buchou, Echizen-kun."

Echizen raised his head in confusion as he heard the sudden change of tone in the tensai's voice. He looked up to be greeted by a warm smile.

"I know that both of you take this relationship seriously," Fuji continued, ignoring the bewildered looks he was receiving from his two teammates. "When you feel comfortable enough to share your relationship with the others, tell them by yourselves. It's your business and I won't bother to interfere in it. You two can do it by yourselves when you're both ready."

"But for now," The blue-eyed boy said with a smile on his face, and placed his hands on the Pillar Pair's shoulders. "For now, you have my approval and support."

"Fuji..."

"Fuji-sempai..."

"HOI, HOI! O-CHIBI-CHAN, NYAH!!! FUJIKO-CHAN, NYAH!!!"

"Eiji! Tezuka-buchou's also there..."

"NYAH, EHHH? BUCHOU? OH CRAP!" Kikumaru Eiji shrieked as he felt Tezuka's glare directed towards him. "NYAH! OISHI! HELP ME!"

"Probability of Ooishi succumbing to Kikumaru's demands...100..."

"Fssshhhhu...Inui-sempai..."

"Oi, oi! How are things getting along for you and your boyfriend, Mamushi?"

"URUSEI, BAKA!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?"

"Anou sa...guys...calm down for a second now..."

"Holy crap! Get that raquet away from..."

"BURNING!!!"

Tezuka sighed as he looked at the rest of his teammates, all of whom were now running away from Kawamura in "burning mode". He turned his head away and looked at Fuji, who was watching the scene in front of them with an amused smile on his face. The bespectacled boy rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He hadn't expected to lose control of his emotions so easily and lash out at the tensai so harshly.

"Neh, Tezuka-buchou."

"What is it, Echizen?"

"Shouldn't we get started with practice since everyone's here now?"

"...EVERYBODY GO GET CHANGED AND COMPLETE 30 LAPS AROUND THE COURTS!"

"WHAT? 30 LAPS!?"

"60 laps."

"Maa, maa, there's no need to be so cruel, buchou."

Tezuka turned around to glare at the smiling tensai.

"Fuji, you can do 100 laps. Anyone else who complains again can join him."

"HAI!"

"Mou ne...it looks like I should get started."

Tezuka stared at Fuji's retreating back as the brown-haired boy began his laps. He would apologize to the tensai for his outbreak later. Fuji wouldn't mind if the apology came later.

He probably wouldn't mind at all.

* * *

A/N : HOLY, HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I'm so sorry about the delay, but my mother left on an overseas trip last week and I'm having troubles sorting out my life. I also had a mathematics and classics test and a geography test tomorrow (I'm supposed to be studying right now . ). CMWIF is my third fanfiction, but it's the first series I've actually posted on a website. Fanfiction has become part of my life now... Anyways...if you've checked my profile, you'll see that I'm currently in the process of writing some other stories. If any of these interest you, give me a nudge and I'll see if I have enough time to post them. Thanks a lot for everything! 3 Sayuri-chan

P.S. I am not happy with the way this chapter turned out...T.T

Sneaky for Chapter 5 : Flashbacks into Fuji's relationships with Tezuka and someone unexpected gives him some advice on his emotions


	6. Look Ahead When I Think Back

Chapter 5 : Look Ahead When I Think Back

* * *

Fuji took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. The sudden increase of oxygen to the brain made him feel slightly light-headed and euphoric. The tensai didn't mind the number of laps assigned to him by Tezuka, even though 100 was slightly over the limits. Either way, it didn't matter to the brown-haired boy who took it as an opportunity to clear his mind of the incidents which had occured earlier in the morning.

_'Tezuka and Echizen...together...'_

The phrase repeated itself over and over again like a mantra in the tensai's head.

_'Tezuka Kunimitsu loves Echizen Ryoma. Echizen Ryoma loves Tezuka Kunimitsu...but Fuji Syuusuke also loves Tezuka Kunimitsu.'_

Fuji silently let out a mirthless laugh. The whole situation was beginning to sound like a soap opera ; the hero and the heroine fall in love with each other, the villian appears and tries to steal one person from the other and a hell lot of people end up getting hurt and killed.

_'It seems like I'm always destined to be the evil one.'_

Fuji turned his head around in time to see Echizen run past Tezuka. Cerulean orbs narrowed dangerously. It was obvious that the other Regulars, including data-man Inui Sadaharu, missed the way the freshman's hand had slightly brushed against the buchou's arm, as well as how the corners of their mouths rose in to barely noticeable smiles as they made eye contact with each other.

Fuji stiffened at the scene and wiped his stinging eyes with his sleeve. Since when had he becane prone to crying?

_'How? How did I fall in love with someone like Tezuka? How did I fall in love with him when I first saw him? I thought that I would be more judgemental than that. I thought that I was more cautious, but you...Tezuka, you just stood out too much.'_

_'Everyone called you special. You were the only one on the tennis team who was able to beat Yamato-buchou. You were a role model and leader for the other first-years, both on and off the tennis courts. You were the strongest and most special out of all of us.'_

_'I knew that you didn't think of me as anything special, that's why I always tried to get as close to you as possible by starting those pointless conversations and asking you for that match.'_

_'You were the Pillar of Seigaku...'_

_'But your arrogance was your downfall, wasn't it? The third-years hated your attitude. After they found you were going easy on them by playing with your right hand, things got worse, didn't they?'_

_'Your elbow was smashed. We had a promised a match earlier that week. Even with that injury you had, you were still willing to face me. I felt like shit after you told me what had happened to your elbow. I felt like shit because I knew I had made your elbow worse than it already was, but I also felt like shit since we weren't able to finish the damn match.'_

_'The match I had been waiting so long for...'_

The rest of the Regulars finished their laps and went inside the court to receive their next instructions. Kikumaru waved to Fuji, who smiled back and continued his rounds.

_'Both of us made it as Regulars on the team the next year. You were even nominated to be the fuku-buchou. It made me so happy in our second year, to be in the same class and on the same team. We became good friends that year didn't we? We became such good friends that it even scared me then to tell you about my feelings.'_

_'I didn't want to destroy the friendship we had.'_

_'That time...when Yuuta came for the short time he did, you were one of the only ones who saw through our discomfort. After Yuuta left, I remember contemplating on quiting tennis for my brother's sake. You helped me then. You told me that Yuuta was chasing after me to defeat me. You told me to keep going and bring my game up to the next level to challenge otouto.'_

_'I took your advice, but I never thanked you for it.'_

_'And now it all comes down to this, our third year, our final year together. This is my last opportunity to confess my feelings to you. Valentine's Day is coming up in a few weeks, I thought that it would have been a good time to tell you. But now...'_

_'...You have Echizen.'_

_'I knew that you were interested in the boy ever since he joined the club. I knew that you were interested in his potential and you dedicated yourself in helping him improve his game. Never would I have thought that you had a romantic interest in the kid.'_

_'You really love him, don't you? This isn't some sort of a lust-driven infatuation, is it? You love Echizen for what he is, because he's so goddamn special. Because he's so goddamn unique. Because he's so much goddamn better than the rest of us.'_

_'I can't try to fit myself in to any of this, can I? This is your love affair and you've shown me this morning that you'll kill anyone who interferes with this relationship. So what will it take for you to fall in love with me? What will it take for you to break up with Echizen?'_

"Dismissed!"

Fuji looked up from his thoughts as he heard the sound of Tezuka's voice echo through the air. He glanced down to where he was standing to find it was the same place where he had started his laps.

_'Did I spend this entire time running?'_

"FUJIIIII!!!" Kikumaru exclaimed and he glomped the tensai. "Mou! That was so mean of Tezuka-buchou! He made you run laps for the entire time! And you're not even out of breath or sweating, Fujiko!"

"Saa...it was kind of nice," Fuji commented lightly. "Running laps in this breeze was actually quite enjoyable." He turned around to face his red-headed teammate. "Do you want to join me next time, Eiji?"

"Nyah! No way!" Kikumaru cried in horror as he backed away from the brown-haired boy. "Running laps is only something somebody like Fuji would enjoy!"

"Is that so?" Fuji muttered under his breath.

_'Somebody like me...'_

The two Regulars made their way into the change rooms. As they took off their jackets and buttoned up their uniforms, Kikumaru poked the backpack the shorter boy had brought to school with him.

"Nyah, Fuji," he asked while his friend prepared to go to class, "why'd you bring a backpack to school with you today? Don't you usually keep everything in your tennis bag?"

Both boys stepped outside on to the schoolyard. Fuji turned to look at the red-headed boy with a slightly confused expression on his face. "You had enough space to fit that model in your tennis bag?"

Kikumaru's eyes widened in alarm and he chased after the brown-haired boy. "EEEEEEHHHHHHHHH? MODEL? SINCE WHEN WERE WE ASSIGNED TO MAKE A MODEL?"

"Since last Friday," Came the cool reply from the tensai. "It's part of our pure substances project."

"WUUAAAAHHH!!! FUJIKO-CHAN!!! HELP ME, I COMPLETEY FORGOT ABOUT IT!!!" Kikumaru cried, clinging on to his friend's neck for help.

"It's a project, Eiji," Fuji replied tersely and freed himself from the headlock. "If sensei finds out that you didn't do it yourself, then you could get into trouble. Class is starting, Eiji. You should think of something soon."

"Aww, Fuji come on!" the red-headed boy pleaded as he ran after his friend. "I'll do anything you want, anything! I can't lose anymore marks in science, Fuji! Eh? Fuji! Fuji! Are you listening to me? Fujiiiiii!"

"Ii data..."

-

"Mou, Fujiko, you're so mean..." Kikumaru grumbled as he shoved everything into his tennis bag.

The school day had ended with Kikumaru, having forsaken his model, being reassigned to create two models by the teacher in what Fuji called to be "just recompensation." Kikumaru, however, was disgruntled at the thought of having to do double the work.

"I'm mean?" Fuji questioned offhandedly while tying his shoelaces. "What did I do wrong here?"

"Nyah! You're my friend!" the red-headed boy exclaimed, pointing a finger at the smaller teen accusingly. "You should've reminded me! Then I wouldn't be stuck with all this work!"

The brown-haired boy shrugged. "You never asked me about it, Eiji. I could only assume that you had already finished it."

Kikumaru scowled at the apathetic tone in his friend's voice. "Fuji! That's not the point!" He stood up abruptly and slammed the change room door as he left.

"Ii data..."

Fuji didn't bother to look up from his shoes. "Did you happen to gather any good data on Kikumaru's behavioural patterns, Inui?"

The bespectacled boy shook his head negatively. "It's not Kikumaru's behaviour I've been gathering data on. It's yours."

"Mine?" The tensai looked up at his teammate. "Did you manage to gather anything worthwhile?"

"Aa. Your concentration today has dropped by 12.37." Inui flipped through the notebook. "The only other time when your focus has decreased this seriously was during the first term of our second year, when Fuji-kun transferred from Seigaku to St. Ruldoph. I'm 96.4 sure that your mind is being distracted by your brother's issues right now."

"Yuuta?" Fuji blinked. _'Well, I can't exactly tell Inui that I have feelings for Tezuka...I suppose Yuuta can act as a sufficient decoy.' _"Mou ne, Inui, you're too good," Fuji admitted sadly. "I guess it's true that I'm uncomfortable with Yuuta's relationship with that purple manager of his. Yuuta's not ready to be involved in that kind of situation yet."

Inui sighed and took his glasses off, rubbing lenses with his shirt. "Fuji, we've known each other for three years, so I hope that you'll listen to me." The taller boy put a hand on the brown-haired teen's shoulder. "I'm telling you this as a friend, Fuji. If you truly love your brother, then you'll trust him enough to make his own decisions. Learning how to let go is part of loving someone. I wouldn't label myself as an expert, but I let go of a lot of things when Kaidoh and I were trying our relationship out. Both of us let go of a lot of things. Try it, Fuji. Your brother will thank you for it, and you'll feel better."

"Saa...is that so? Letting go of somebody you love to make them happy..." Fuji muttered pensively. "I'll try it out. It shouldn't be so bad since the data-man was the one who came up with the idea."

Inui twitched at the term "data-man."

Fuji's eyes narrowed and he grinned. "Don't you have a date with Kaidoh today? You wouldn't want to keep him waiting again." He teased and laughed as Inui stared at him in horror.

"How did you..."

"Secret, Inui. Secret. I would start running if I were you. Kaidoh must be awfully pissed off right now."

Inui glanced at his watch and swore. "Ah...you're right. I need to go. Uh...I hope that you'll be able to find some way to fix things up with your brother. I'll see you tomorrow at practice." The data specialist waved and dashed outside.

The tensai stood up from the bench and fixed his eyes on his teammate's retreating back. "Learning to let go for someone you love..." Fuji muttered, walking out of the change room. He kicked at a scrunched up ball of paper on the ground and watched the object fly from foot to foot.

_'Can I ever let go of Tezuka?'_

* * *

A/N : ...Sorry doesn't even cut how badly I feel for neglecting this story TT. My baby cousin finally got me up my ass and convinced me to post this chapter -cuddlesherandgetsslapped- and here it is! I'm having troubles deciding what to do with chapter 6 so if you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to share them! Anything is appreciated! Do you guy want me to bring in more of the Fuji family and introduce Yuuta's relationship (sex-ed free, of course) or do you want more interactions between Fuji and the Seigaku regulars OR do you want Saeki in the story ASAP?

And before I forget (but I would never forget)...MUCH LOVE TO ALL MY REVIEWERS AND READERS!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME EVEN THOUGH I HAD NEGLECTED THIS STORY FOR A FEW MONTHS!!! I WILL GET THE NEXT CHAPTER AS SOON AS I GET ENOUGH OPINIONS ON WHAT YOU GUYS WANT!!!

Love, Sayu-chan


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